Like A Dark Paradise (A Hazbin Hotel story)

The Invitation

A/N: My brain died halfway through this chapter, mostly because of Valentino's dialogue and the fact that I kept running out of ideas. If it's a little shitty, I apologize for that. I just wanted this out of the way before Valentine's Day was over. Anyhow, this is where things will get darker from here. If you thought it was bad from the start, it's gonna get worse.

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Angel ran as fast and as far away as he could manage. He couldn't believe he was going through with this. To leave you behind with no way of defending yourself. In spite of his better judgement, he had to trust you. He had to trust that you knew what you were doing. Dammit all. Why did you have to be such a kind-hearted soul? Why couldn't you just think about yourself for once?!

Angel came to a screeching halt when he came across a red-headed young woman in a black suit. She held a black cross over her shoulder with two larger demons accompanying her. He then scowled at the deer demon in front of him. Just great. Out of all days, he had to run into her of all people.

"Marigold," he growled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She simply cracked a smirk towards the spider demon and giggled. "Why else would I be here? I'm on official business."

"For what? The last time you've been here on business, the owner of that drug store went missing for not hitting their mark. I suppose you had something to do with it?"

"I did what I had to do," she explained. "Anyone that comes to me for help must expect the consequences if they fail to uphold their end of the bargain. He was no different. Right then. If you would excuse me." Angel did not budge from his spot when she began to walk up towards him. She then stopped right in front of him a few seconds later and sighed. "Angel. Move."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said. "Not until you tell me what are you planning, you--" His confrontation was hindered when he felt himself holding a gun that was pointed to his head completely off-guard. Nearly taken by surprise, Angel struggled to jerk the gun away from his head with his free hand, cursing at the magic that was very familiar to him.

This wasn't his own doing. Her magic was causing this.

"I have no personal issues with you, Angel," she said with a frown. "But if you so much as try to get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill you. And seeing that you're still under the effects of my spell, you're just as weak-minded as ever."

Fuck! He hated that he was STILL under her spell the demon casted on him. He thought he managed to break away from it, that he's made himself stronger to handle it. Unfortunately, this proves that he was still incapable of ridding himself of his weak-minded self. Either that, or her magic has definitely gotten stronger. After all, Marigold is widely known for her unpredictably chaotic nature. Not to mention, her accursed magic that was responsible for torturing and killing her captives if they fail to cooperate to her demands.

"Now," she spoke in a more threatening tone. "What's it gonna be? If you let me pass, I'll let you in on a little secret. If you don't, well..." Angel flinched at the sharp click of his gun, frantically putting all of his strength to tear it away from him. "You already know what happens next."

It took all of his willpower to fight the unknown force that was surging through his body. He doesn't know what Marigold is planning and seeing that she is here out of all days when he was told to leave, it's definitely sketchy as hell.

"Don't make me do this, Anthony," she warned. "You and I were once friends for a very long time. The last thing I want to do is kill you after what I've put you through. That, and I rather avoid making that piss-prick porn director angry for killing his favorite little sex doll."